Li Jun, Li Xiang, Luo Shunhong, Zhou Haishen
The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P. R. China.
PLoS One. 2025 Jun 24;20(6):e0326992. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0326992. eCollection 2025.
Childhood meningitis remains a serious and life-threatening infectious disease with considerable risk of long-term sequelae. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the global burden and temporal trends of childhood meningitis from 1990 to 2021.
We extracted data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021 to estimate incident cases, incidence rates, deaths, and mortality rates of childhood meningitis at global, regional, and national levels. We further assessed the etiological composition of childhood meningitis across different age groups and sociodemographic index (SDI) regions. Additionally, cross-country inequality analyses were conducted to measure the distributional inequality of childhood meningitis burden across countries.
In 2021, childhood meningitis accounted for approximately 1.33 million incident cases and 112,000 deaths worldwide. The global incidence rate of childhood meningitis decreased by 59.8%, from 164.80 per 100,000 in 1990 to 66.24 per 100,000 in 2021. The global mortality rate also decreased by 69.18%, from 18.12 per 100,000 in 1990 to 5.59 per 100,000 in 2021. In 2021, the top three etiologies responsible for global childhood meningitis deaths were Streptococcus pneumoniae (17.01%), Neisseria meningitidis (14.03%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (12.11%). Notably, the leading etiologies of neonatal meningitis deaths were Group B Streptococcus (22.70%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.97%), and viral etiologies (15.35%). Cross-country inequality analysis revealed that low SDI regions bore a disproportionate burden.
Despite significant progress over the past three decades, childhood meningitis remains a major public health challenge, particularly in resource-limited settings. Concerted efforts are required to reduce the unacceptable health inequities associated with this devastating disease.
儿童脑膜炎仍然是一种严重且危及生命的传染病，存在长期后遗症的重大风险。本研究旨在全面评估1990年至2021年全球儿童脑膜炎的负担及时间趋势。
我们从《2021年全球疾病负担研究》中提取数据，以估计全球、区域和国家层面儿童脑膜炎的发病例数、发病率、死亡数和死亡率。我们还进一步评估了不同年龄组和社会人口指数（SDI）区域儿童脑膜炎的病因构成。此外，进行了跨国不平等分析，以衡量各国儿童脑膜炎负担的分布不平等情况。
2021年，全球儿童脑膜炎发病例数约为133万例，死亡11.2万例。全球儿童脑膜炎发病率下降了59.8%，从1990年的每10万人164.80例降至2021年的每10万人66.24例。全球死亡率也下降了69.18%，从1990年的每10万人18.12例降至2021年的每10万人5.59例。2021年，导致全球儿童脑膜炎死亡的前三大病因是肺炎链球菌（17.01%）、脑膜炎奈瑟菌（14.03%）和肺炎克雷伯菌（12.11%）。值得注意的是，新生儿脑膜炎死亡的主要病因是B族链球菌（22.70%）、肺炎克雷伯菌（16.97%）和病毒病因（15.35%）。跨国不平等分析显示，低SDI区域负担过重。
尽管在过去三十年中取得了重大进展，但儿童脑膜炎仍然是一项重大的公共卫生挑战，尤其是在资源有限的环境中。需要共同努力，以减少与这种毁灭性疾病相关的不可接受的健康不平等现象。
